When I sit back and look at what I've accomplished in life, I have a lot to be proud of and a lot to be grateful for. A strong education, good jobs, great family and friends, and so on. Many of these accomplishments came not only from hard work and sacrifice on my own part, but that of many others as well.

Motivational speaker Jim Rohn has been quoted as saying that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. While I'm not quite sure what an "average of a person" is, I get that he is referring to the general habits and behaviors that we exhibit.

If you've ever seen someone spend time with an old friend and begin to act similar to them, you've see the influence we can have on each other.

While this can be easily seen as a downside (teenagers and their ill-behaved friends are a classic example), it can also be used for positive actions.

In order to pursue your passion, it can really help to develop a positive environment around you. In particular, get rid of drains, things that suck the life out of you.

That could mean removing certain people from your life, leaving jobs that take everything from you and give nothing in return, or moving into a different living arrangement that doesn't constantly cause you stress.

Now, that's not to say that everything has to be perfect before you start on your journey, but it definitely helps to get rid of as many negative things as possible. I've seen people completely drained after a long day and they have nothing left to give to their passions. What are the chances that whatever strength they are able to muster will allow them to build anything more than a small hobby?